NBA center Jason Collins becomes first openly gay active player in major U.S. sport

posted at 2:01 pm on April 29, 2013 by Allahpundit

Two weeks ago we were writing about a terrorist attack, today we’re writing about gay basketball players. A blogger’s life for me, my friends.

Easy prediction: 75 percent of the public will be casually supportive or casually disapproving but either way almost entirely indifferent. Fifteen percent, including lots of pols, celebrities, and the media, will support him enthusiastically. The other 10 percent will hassle him on the court or from the stands either because they dislike gays or just to spite the 15 percent of “opinion leaders” on the other side. Collins will get a standing O at his first home game next year — if he ends up being signed — and some fans on the road will get nasty with him when he fouls someone too roughly. He’ll do a few ads. Then, after a few months, with rare exceptions, everyone will get bored with it.

By its nature, my double life has kept me from getting close to any of my teammates. Early in my career I worked hard at acting straight, but as I got more comfortable in my straight mask it required less effort. In recent days, though, little has separated “mask on, mask off.” Personally, I don’t like to dwell in someone else’s private life, and I hope players and coaches show me the same respect. When I’m with my team I’m all about working hard and winning games. A good teammate supports you no matter what.

I’ve been asked how other players will respond to my announcement. The simple answer is, I have no idea. I’m a pragmatist. I hope for the best, but plan for the worst. The biggest concern seems to be that gay players will behave unprofessionally in the locker room. Believe me, I’ve taken plenty of showers in 12 seasons. My behavior wasn’t an issue before, and it won’t be one now. My conduct won’t change. I still abide by the adage, “What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room.” I’m still a model of discretion…

Openness may not completely disarm prejudice, but it’s a good place to start. It all comes down to education. I’ll sit down with any player who’s uneasy about my coming out. Being gay is not a choice. This is the tough road and at times the lonely road. Former players like Tim Hardaway, who said “I hate gay people” (and then became a supporter of gay rights), fuel homophobia. Tim is an adult. He’s entitled to his opinion. God bless America. Still, if I’m up against an intolerant player, I’ll set a pretty hard pick on him. And then move on.

The most you can do is stand up for what you believe in. I’m much happier since coming out to my friends and family. Being genuine and honest makes me happy.

Collins technically isn’t the first active player from a big-four sport to be openly gay, he’s the first active player to go public with it. (Glenn Burke, an outfielder for the Dodgers and A’s in the 70s, was out to his teammates and coaches but didn’t announce it publicly until after he retired.) Early reaction is what you’d expect:

“Here at the White House we view this as another example of the progress we’ve made and the evolution that has taken place,” press secretary Jay Carney said when asked if President Obama had a statement on Collins. Carney said he had not talked to the president directly about Collins.

Former President Bill Clinton on Monday congratulated NBA center Jason Collins for becoming the first openly gay male American professional athlete.

“I have known Jason Collins since he was Chelsea’s classmate and friend at Stanford. Jason’s announcement today is an important moment for professional sports and in the history of the LGBT community,” Clinton said in a statement.

It’s early yet, though. Someone in some league somewhere inevitably will say something disapproving, whereupon he’ll be shredded in the press until he formulaically apologizes.

By the way: None of this is a surprise, and Collins almost certainly isn’t the the only active big-four athlete who’ll be out by the end of summer. NFL player Brendon Ayanbadejo told the Baltimore Sun on April 5 that “up to four players” were discussing whether to come out on the same day, to take the heat off of each of them individually. There’s been endless whispering in the media over the last month about MLB, the NFL, the NBA, and the NHL preparing for this sort of thing. Advertisers have been preparing too, with Nike practically dangling cash in front of gay athletes to get them to speak up:

Nike asked Welts to deliver a message to anyone thinking about becoming the first openly gay athlete in major U.S. team sports — the company wants him as an endorser.

“They made it clear to me Nike would embrace it,” Welts, 60, now president of the National Basketball Association’s Golden State Warriors, said in a telephone interview. “The player who does it, they’re going to be amazed at the additional opportunities that are put on the table, not the ones that are taken off.”…

“We’ve passed the tipping point to where national advertisers are no longer afraid of the gay market,” said Mark Elderkin, chief executive officer of the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Gay Ad Network.

That calculus would be complicated for a superstar, especially in a sport like football, but not for an average aging player like Collins. So this is really just phase one: Now there’s a man on the court whom everyone knows is gay, but who doesn’t draw much attention otherwise. Phase two will be when an all-star, who carries his team, comes out. How much more pressure will he deal with from teammates and fans?

Exit question from DrewM: If people want to boo someone for their personal lives, why not boo these guys?

Update: That was fast. Dolphins WR Mike Wallace apparently tweeted “All these beautiful women in the world and guys wanna mess with other guys SMH…” That tweet’s now gone, per TMZ, replaced by this:

Never said anything was right or wrong I just said I don’t understand!! Deeply sorry for anyone that I offended

Meh. I’m reminded of Lisa Simpson’s reaction to ‘we’re here, we’re gay, get used to it’ chanting in a gay pride parade: a tired ‘we are already…’ Ok, so, to paraphrase homosexual activist Marshall Kirk, we’ve been standing under the shower so long now that although we don’t appreciate being wet, at least we’re used to it. So will you please all shut the — up now? Very tired of hearing that you’re somehow supposed to be oppressed and it’s oh, so brave to admit your homosexuality in public.

I’d like to use this nationally viewed website to formally announce that I am heterosexual. I love women. I feel it is very important that you all know this about me.

I understand that some of you will be upset and offended by my admission, and I don’t really care because it’s not about you, its all about me. I shouldn’t have to “hide” my feelings towards women. I should be able to openly express my love for women and have everyone accept this about me. I am very brave for making this public.

I had to laugh….some CBS sports guy called Collins the Rosa Parks of the gay movement. Parks had to worry about getting killed . Collins has to worry about which talk show he will get to do first and if the fawning will get old or not. What a joke.

“If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, the Bible says you know them by their fruits, it says that that’s a sin,” said Broussard, comparing homosexuality to any other sex outside of marriage. “If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and Jesus Christ.”

Sorry, but I care. Frankly, so does everyone else. I worked a while back with a guy who was out. We all “tolerated” him until he was out of the room, and then we all let it be known what we really thought.

And that’s the truth of it, isn’t it? This is not about tolerance. I don’t have to tolerate ice cream — I *like* ice cream. I only have to tolerate the things I don’t like, but that’s not the gheys’ definition — tolerance in their mind is equivalent to approval, and I can’t get there.

Put plainly, my God doesn’t approve of this — He called it an abomination, and that’s just what it is.

And enough with the “dogs are gay, dolphins are gay too” business. My dog will hump a couch leg, a table leg, and your leg. That doesn’t make him gay any more than it makes my dog a couch-o-sexual. It just means he likes the feeling when he gets off.

Sorry, but I care. Frankly, so does everyone else. I worked a while back with a guy who was out. We all “tolerated” him until he was out of the room, and then we all let it be known what we really thought.
RationalIcthus on April 30, 2013 at 2:59 AM

So you’re a two-faced phony who talks crap behind people’s backs? I fail to see the point of your comment. Why would you feel the need to gossip like schoolgirls about your coworkers?

Anyway, it seems like the tables have turned. A few decades ago the subject of homosexuality was taboo, and now it is viewed as a normal part of life. It used to be quite acceptable to mock and demean gays, but now those who talk of homosexuality as an “abomination” are being demeaned and mocked. It is becoming increasing socially unacceptable to be anti-gay. Of course people who, because of their religion, don’t approve of homosexuality, shouldn’t necessarily be demeaned, but at least they are going to know what the gays must have felt like before this societal shift took place. And, make no mistake, there has certainly been a shift. The shoe is on the other foot now.

People here who post so much about how they “don’t care” about this athlete’s sexual orientation obviously do care care or else they wouldn’t be posting so much. They say they don’t like the hoopla surrounding the coverage? Ok, well, if it weren’t for the long standing animus and discomfort regarding gays, then this announcement wouldn’t have been an issue.

These kind of announcements are to help normalize homosexuality. And why shouldn’t it be normalized? Consensual homosexuality among adults is a perfectly normal part of the human existence.

And enough with the “dogs are gay, dolphins are gay too” business. My dog will hump a couch leg, a table leg, and your leg. That doesn’t make him gay any more than it makes my dog a couch-o-sexual. It just means he likes the feeling when he gets off.
RationalIcthus on April 30, 2013 at 2:59 AM

Is all human sexuality nothing more than “getting off” to you? How is homo different than hetero in this regard? And tell us again why you care whether someone is attracted to same or opposite sex. Is all non-procreative sex an abomination? Or just when it involves people of the same sex engaging in it?

Uh, no it isn’t. It is about as abnormal as you can get. And for the record, I don’t care where anyone sticks their pee pee as long as it’s legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s normal.
xblade on April 30, 2013 at 4:55 AM

No, it is normal in the sense that it is something unremarkable, everyday and commonplace. Don’t where you’ve been living your life, but homosexuality is NOT “as abnormal as you can get.”

If that’s true, why all the celebration today over the coming out of an NBA player no one has heard of?
xblade on April 30, 2013 at 4:55 AM

Probably because there are still areas (like the NBA) where it would be considered surprising to see homosexuals. This is sort of like putting an exclamation point on the notion that it is a normal part of life.

Of course the coverage is overblown because of the media’s political leanings. But many people find this fascinating. Would there have been the same reaction if a top ice skater had announced his homosexuality? I think not. The fact that this guy is in the NBA challenges people’s ideas of where homosexuality would be found.

The fact is that young people are very supportive of homosexuality. These issues will be even less newsworthy in the future, and it will be increasingly unacceptable to condemn people for being homosexual or for engaging in homosexual acts, as if there were a meaningful distinction to draw there.

Watch as this plays out… you will find the brave one are the ones that stand up to it. Quit acting like he is some great brave person…… he will be going to all the great cocktail parties while Broussard will be lucky to have a job.

You know of course this means the loopy lunatics from Fred Phelps’ warped-out Westboro Baptist Church will most likely soon be gracing their GOD HATES FAGS! placards at every single NBA game from now until whenever.

Some people want to be known for their ideology. Some want to be know for their faith. Some want to be known for their professional skills. Some want to be known for their patriotism. Some want to be known for their kindness. Some want to be known for their drive and determination.

And then there’s Jason Collins, who wants to be known for the sexual acts he prefers to engage in.

Remember the quaint old days when the Supreme Court invalidated State sodomy laws because one’s sexual conduct was an issue of “privacy”? About the only way Jason Collins could be less private about his sexuality would be for him to post youtube videos flagrante delicto.

I take snopes, & other sites like this with a grain of salt.
But that video from Gateway pundit no longer exists regarding the Libyan Free Press broadcast.
So really, I’m going to have to not believe Stevens was sodomized at this point.

No, it is normal in the sense that it is something unremarkable, everyday and commonplace. Don’t where you’ve been living your life, but homosexuality is NOT “as abnormal as you can get.” bluegill on April 30, 2013 at 5:18 AM

Is rectal prolapse repair as normal as tonsillectomies?

I wonder how many rectal prolapse repairs are performed annually, what percentage of those are performed on sodomists, and how many on normal men.

My guess is that the numbers are way skewed in the direction of men who let other men insert their peepees into their anuses, and therefore, is indeed therefore abnormal.

But then narcissists tend to think that their concerns and propensities are normal, and therefore, I understand why you think it’s everyday and commonplace.

My guess is that the numbers are way skewed in the direction of men who let other men insert their peepees into their anuses, and therefore, is indeed therefore abnormal.

But then narcissists tend to think that their concerns and propensities are normal, and therefore, I understand why you think it’s everyday and commonplace.

Akzed on April 30, 2013 at 10:10 AM

Ah, but what about heterosexual females who let “men insert their peepees into their anuses”? Since you see things on such a base level, isn’t the same also true?

At least you aren’t screaming about how much you don’t care, like many here. They “don’t care” until a person wants to marry someone of the same sex, then it’s a matter of the destruction of civilization.

So you’re a two-faced phony who talks crap behind people’s backs? I fail to see the point of your comment. Why would you feel the need to gossip like schoolgirls about your coworkers?
bluegill on April 30, 2013 at 4:26 AM

I should be clear. I did not participate in the comments or backbiting, and only showed this man the respect he deserves as an individual. I use the story to point out that people will say just about anything to avoid being labeled homophobic, but what they feel inside is quite different.

Is all human sexuality nothing more than “getting off” to you? How is homo different than hetero in this regard? And tell us again why you care whether someone is attracted to same or opposite sex. Is all non-procreative sex an abomination? Or just when it involves people of the same sex engaging in it?

bluegill on April 30, 2013 at 5:13 AM

Of course not. But all sex that lies outside of God’s plan for marriage is. I have just as much issue with sex outside of marriage as I do homosexuality. Note that I don’t make a practice of walking down the street with signs, but if in the course of conversation (or a blog post on the subject) it becomes appropriate to express my view, I will.

Put plainly, my point in bringing up the dogs & dolphins is to point out that nature doesn’t have homosexuals. It has animals that can’t control their behavior. That goes for gays just as much as it goes for the guys that can’t keep it in their pants whenever a hot girl walks by. It’s a maturity issue that goes directly to man’s ability to live above his animal instincts. There are just some things that should not be done.

Is all non-procreative sex an abomination? Or just when it involves people of the same sex engaging in it?

bluegill on April 30, 2013 at 5:13 AM

It’s an aberration concerning natural purposes.
Anal sex is always an aberration. It is not normal. And no attemp to normalize it concerning natural procreative practices is going to make it so.
My bulls that engage in [email protected] each other in the a$$ are doing it bcs they have no self control over their sexual urges.
Some people consider sodomy an abomination. It certainly disgusts me.
I also consider pi$$ing on your partner disgusting AKA an abomination, as well as jack!ng off to porn.
You are never going to make everyone accept your abominable behaviors no matter how normal you try & make them.

Ah, but what about heterosexual females who let “men insert their peepees into their anuses”? Since you see things on such a base level, isn’t the same also true?

At least you aren’t screaming about how much you don’t care, like many here. They “don’t care” until a person wants to marry someone of the same sex, then it’s a matter of the destruction of civilization.

TedInATL on April 30, 2013 at 10:42 AM

1. Still nasty & wrong, IMO.
2. YES.
3. I’m making the argument about it being unnatural bcs as humans, we are not born gay. It really comes down to choosing how you will behave, no matter what your urges are.
Marriage should only be a state sanctioned institution concerning how society will deal with broken marriage/union contracts. Not the Fed.
Polygamy needs to be decided upon as appropriate or not by the states, as well, for the reasons regarding contracts, division of property, children/parental rights, etc.
I don’t advocate enforcing/having sodomy laws.
I do advocate letting citizens in their respective states decided if they want the local govt to recognize certain unions.

At this stage, I think it’s fair to say that 400+ commenters don’t care at all about this.
Nope…just don’t care.
Not one bit.
Got nothing to say about it…no siree.
Just, like…yawn.
Not even thinking about it.
At all.

at the end of a pro career where he averaged 1 point and 1 rebound per game, he finally figured out how to get noticed. i guarantee when nobody signs him during the off season the liberals will scream about the ‘prejudice’ of the NBA

At this stage, I think it’s fair to say that 400+ commenters don’t care at all about this.
Nope…just don’t care.
Not one bit.
Got nothing to say about it…no siree.
Just, like…yawn.
Not even thinking about it.
At all.

verbaluce on April 30, 2013 at 12:33 PM

Speaking of, we missed you on last week’s Hillary/Benghazi thread, btw:

Polygamy needs to be decided upon as appropriate or not by the states, as well, for the reasons regarding contracts, division of property, children/parental rights, etc. I don’t advocate enforcing/having sodomy laws. I do advocate letting citizens in their respective states decided if they want the local govt to recognize certain unions. Badger40 on April 30, 2013 at 12:20 PM

Polygamy “…is contrary to the spirit of Christianity, and of the civilization which Christianity has produced in the western world.” 136 U.S. 1, LATE CORPORATION OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS et al. v. UNITED STATES, May 19, 1890

Probably because there are still areas (like the NBA) where it would be considered surprising to see homosexuals. This is sort of like putting an exclamation point on the notion that it is a normal part of life.

Of course the coverage is overblown because of the media’s political leanings. But many people find this fascinating. Would there have been the same reaction if a top ice skater had announced his homosexuality? I think not. The fact that this guy is in the NBA challenges people’s ideas of where homosexuality would be found.

bluegill on April 30, 2013 at 5:32 AM

The reason there isn’t the same reaction to an NBA guy being gay, as there is to a male figure skating guy being gay is that “man bites dog” is always going to be a bigger story than “dog bites man”.

It’s funny-I think this whole “cmon you gay athletes-come out of the closet and let us know who you are” thing is actually going to work out the opposite of the way certain sectors of society are hoping it does.

So Collins comes out, and then probably one or two more guys from the other pro sports over the next year or so.

And…..that will be it.

And then it will become very obvious that there really are very few gay male pro athletes. Supposedly, about what…3% of the population is gay….it will become apparent, after a time, that the percentage of pro athletes who are gay males is a fraction of a fraction of one percent.

And when that sinks in these little coming out parties will not exactly be the “normalizing” events that some people are hoping for.

After all-more than 35 years after Dave Kopay “came out” and wrote his book and appeared on the Phil Donohue Show with Paul Hornung and all, the list of known gay male pro athletes could fit on a very small piece of paper.

I don’t care if someone is gay or not, I’d vote for a gay president I agree with, and I wouldn’t care if my favorite team’s QB was gay either, as long as he had a high average yards/pass attempt and didn’t throw a lot of interceptions.

But I really hate all the PC crap, and getting snowed, and being told that up is down and black is white. And that Jason Collins is the new Jackie Robinson.

Polygamy “…is contrary to the spirit of Christianity, and of the civilization which Christianity has produced in the western world.” 136 U.S. 1, LATE CORPORATION OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS et al. v. UNITED STATES, May 19, 1890

Akzed on April 30, 2013 at 2:32 PM

I’m not saying I condone it Akzed.
And yes, I am LDS as you probably know. Which I guess is why you posted this?
But the power for the states to regulate marriage still remains in their power.
I wouldn’t think any states would want to do this.
But in the spirit of all this gayness HA keeps pumping out, I saw fit to mention the obvious.